


A Broken Leg And A Heart Torn In Two

by robindrake93



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Accidents, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Caretaking, Fluff, Hit by a car, Injury Recovery, M/M, One Shot, The Prophecies Begin: Book 2: Fire and Ice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27501469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robindrake93/pseuds/robindrake93
Summary: While returning WindClan home, Fireheart is hit by a monster that breaks his leg. Fortunately Ravenpaw is there to help him recover.
Relationships: Firestar/Ravenpaw (Warriors)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 49





	A Broken Leg And A Heart Torn In Two

**Author's Note:**

> This just stuck in my head and wouldn't leave until I wrote it. I'm sure that no one will read it aside from me because it's such a rarepair but for those of you who also ship FireRaven...hello and welcome. 
> 
> Don't reupload/repost my fics.

Fireheart and Morningflower stepped onto the Thunderpath. The elders crept out behind them with Graystripe beside them. Time seemed to stand still as the elders hobbled slowly forward on stiff, battle-scarred legs. _If a monster comes now, we’re all fresh-kill,_ Fireheart thought. The other side was still several rabbit leaps away. 

“Come on,” urged Graystripe. The elders tried to hurry, but one stumbled, and Graystripe had to nose him back to his paws. 

Fireheart heard the distant roar of a monster. “Go on ahead!” he hissed to Morningflower. “We’ll bring the elders.” 

Morningflower stumbled forward. Her kit squealed as it bumped against the hard ground. Fireheart and Graystripe pressed themselves against the elders’ scrawny bodies, nudging them forward. The noise of the approaching monster grew louder and louder. 

Fireheart grabbed the nearest elder by the scruff of the neck and dragged him forward, before turning to haul the second closer to the verge. The monster raced closer. Fireheart closed his eyes and braced himself. 

Nothing could have prepared Fireheart for the pain. He yowled in utter shock as the monster struck his leg. 

The monster sped away, leaving a foul scent in the air, indifferent to the terrible damage it had done. 

Graystripe ran to Fireheart. “Fireheart! Are you okay?” He nosed Fireheart’s leg. 

Fireheart hissed in pain. He tried to get to his feet but a terrible pain shot through his leg like lightning, and he fell back down. 

By that time, Tallstar and Barkface had hurried into the Thunderpath. Two WindClan warriors came back and helped the elders across. Tallstar crouched by Fireheart’s face and gave him a comforting lick between the ears. “Barkface will do all he can for you.” 

Barkface examined Fireheart’s leg. “It’s broken, but the break is clean,” he announced. “We need to get off of the Thunderpath before someone else gets hurt.” 

Graystripe slid beneath Fireheart’s front leg and lifted him onto his broad back. “Sorry, Fireheart,” he mewed when Fireheart let out a pained groan. The gray warrior carried Fireheart off the Thunderpath. “Barley’s farm is around here. We should stop there.” 

“A two-leg den?” Deadfoot asked with a scowl. 

“Dogs,” Fireheart muttered. His broken leg hurt with every step that Graystripe took. Yet he took comfort in Graystripe’s familiar scent, as comforting to him as the scent of his own mother.

“There are dogs that run loose in this area,” Graystripe explained. He crouched closer to the ground, alleviating some of Fireheart’s weight. “And rats live in the ditches.” 

As he spoke, the storm that had been brewing all day broke with a cold wind that ruffled their fur. Fat raindrops fell onto Fireheart’s pelt, only a few at first but quickly growing in number. Soon, every cat was soaked through with rainwater. 

Tallstar and Deadfoot glanced at each other, then nodded agreement. “Lead the way,” Tallstar said. He looked exhausted, head down and tail dragging along behind him. 

The Clan followed the hedgerow along the Thunderpath before turning away to join the track through the woods. Fireheart couldn't smell Ravenpaw’s scent, which worried him. What if he’d been wrong sending Ravenpaw here? 

He heard Graystripe’s belly growl with hunger. The traveling herbs that Yellowfang had given them were wearing off. If Fireheart hadn’t been in so much pain, he was sure that he would be just as hungry. 

Suddenly, the grass behind them rustled. The Wind Clan warriors bristled and arched their backs, unsheathing sharp claws, but Fireheart and Graystripe turned their heads joyfully. The wind carried a scent as familiar as their own den. “Ravenpaw!” Fireheart gasped. 

The sleek black cat that emerged from the long grass was plump and his fur, usually so dull before, now shed the rain like a holly leaf. “Firepaw!” Ravenpaw meowed in delight. The delight changed to confusion when he saw that Graystripe was carrying the ginger tom. “Are you alright?”

“Fire _heart,_ ” Graystripe corrected, “got hit by a monster. Barkface said his leg is broken.” 

Ravenpaw’s fur didn’t even bristle under the hostile gazes of the WindClan warriors. He took them in, and Fireheart, then said, “Spend the night in our barn. I can help you find food. I know all of the best places to hunt around here.” Ravenpaw stepped forward and bent his head respectfully. “Let me help you! I owe my life to Fireheart and …”

“I’m Graystripe now,” Graystripe answered the unspoken question. 

“And Graystripe, and if they’re traveling with you, then you must be friends,” Ravenpaw finished. 

WindClan met Ravenpaw’s stare with looks that were more weary than hostile. The rain was falling harder now and, with their fur bedraggled, they looked skinnier than ever. 

“I’ll go and find Barley,” Ravenpaw meowed. “He will help too.” He turned and disappeared through the long grass. 

Tallstar’s eyes burned with curiosity, but all he asked Fireheart was, “Can we trust him?” 

Fireheart met Tallstar’s gaze. “Completely.” 

Ravenpaw wasn’t gone long, soon returning with Barley. Barley took one look at the dripping cats and meowed, “We need to find you some proper shelter. Follow me!” Barley and Ravenpaw led them through the hedge into another field. In an overgrown corner, among the brambles and nettles, stood an abandoned Twoleg nest. The walls were full of holes where stones had fallen out, and only half the roof was left. 

Barkface walked beside Graystripe. “I don’t have any of my supplies with me,” he meowed. “Are your friends equipped with cobwebs and healing herbs?” 

Ravenpaw’s ears flicked back. He dropped back to walk on Barkface’s other side. “We have plenty of cobwebs in the barn but we don’t have any herbs. You’re welcome to look around for some. Or if you tell me what you need, I can go.” 

Barkface rattled off a list of supplies. It was a short list that was mostly made of pain dulling medication. 

They settled Fireheart in among the hay. Graystripe looked like he was about to collapse. He gave his fur a good shake but water always clung to him fiercely. The massive gray warrior laid down beside Fireheart and began to rasp his tongue over Fireheart’s fur. His eyes were closed with exhaustion. “How are you feeling?” 

Similar scenes were happening everywhere else, cats finding dry spots and collapsing, then sharing tongues to help dry off and comfort each other. 

“Like I got hit by a monster,” Fireheart said dryly. He gave Graystripe a few licks but he was so tired that he just rested his head on Graystripe’s shoulders. His leg throbbed in time to his heartbeat. 

Ravenpaw collected the cobwebs around the barn for Barkface. He conferred with Barley for a moment before bringing them over. “I’ll go search for those herbs.” Before he left, Ravenpaw touched Fireheart’s nose. His green eyes were full of sympathy and worry. Then he dashed out into the rain. 

Barley followed after him, going on a hunting patrol rather than herb gathering. There was an entire Clan to feed. 

Barkface set about straightening Fireheart’s leg and wrapping it in cobwebs. “You’re lucky, Fireheart,” Barkface said. “This is the cleanest break I’ve ever seen.” It didn’t happen very often, but occasionally kittypets had been hit by monsters and Fireheart knew that he was lucky. There was no blood, no bones protruding from fur. Fireheart’s leg wasn’t even twisted up. “StarClan must have been looking out for you.” 

Fireheart thought that if StarClan was really looking out for him, this wouldn’t have happened at all. But he was glad to hear that it wasn’t terrible. Barkface didn’t seem to have any concerns about his leg. 

Graystripe hauled himself to his paws. His tail drooped. “I should help them hunt,” he announced. Then he disappeared into the storm. 

Fireheart missed his friends but he was confident in Barkface’s healing abilities. He had never met a bad medicine cat before and Barkface worked with a quiet confidence. 

Ravenpaw returned with the dried head of a poppy flower. He dropped it at Barkface’s paws, then went to sniff at the cobwebs securing Fireheart’s leg. 

Barkface shook out two seeds. “Eat these,” he said. “And if you can, get something to eat.” 

Fireheart licked up the seeds. 

Ravenpaw slipped back outside without a word. 

Fireheart was disappointed until his friend came back with a shrew. He ate gratefully. By the time he was through eating, Fireheart’s eyelids were heavy with sleep. He should have been worrying about WindClan but he was simply too tired to care. 

As he drifted off, Fireheart felt Ravenpaw curl around him and the rasp of his friend’s tongue as he took over Graystripe’s task of drying Fireheart’s fur. 

“I can stay, Fireheart,” Graystripe meowed. It was the next day and the gray rain clouds had begun to drift away. The WindClan cats had already eaten the leftover fresh-kill and were itching to leave. 

Fireheart shook his head. “No. You need to take WindClan home and then you need to tell Bluestar that they’re back.” He paused, then added, “And tell her what happened to me.” 

Graystripe rubbed his cheek against Fireheart’s. Then he backed away, squaring his shoulders. “Right. I’ll get them home safely, Fireheart, and I’ll tell Bluestar what happened. We’ll think of a way to get you home.” 

Fireheart flicked his tail in agreement. Graystripe was strong and noble; he would see WindClan safely home. 

Tallstar stepped up to Fireheart. For a WindClan cat, he had very long legs and now he towered over Fireheart. If he was in better health, he would be a formidable opponent. “Thank you, young Fireheart, for getting us this far and for your sacrifice to save our elders. It is not something we will forget soon.” He flicked his tail to indicate the medicine cat beside him. “Barkface will come back soon to check on you, provided you’re still here.” 

“It’s the least I can do,” Barkface added. Then he began to give Fireheart a list of things he wasn’t to do. 

Ravenpaw melted from the shadows and twined his tail with Fireheart’s. He listened intently, asked some questions to verify, and nodded along to what Barkface said. 

Fireheart glanced up at Ravenpaw, surprised. The sleek black cat sat tall and proud, shoulder squared with importance and confidence. He was quite handsome, Fireheart thought not for the first time. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.” 

Barkface nodded. Ravenpaw and Barley had taken in WindClan when they were in distress and then spent hours hunting to feed the entire clan; Barkface had no doubts that Ravenpaw would take care of Fireheart. 

“Safe travels,” Fireheart mewed. 

WindClan filed out of the barn. Morningflower was last and she gave Fireheart a comforting lick between the ears and purred. Then she and her kit were gone. 

One night after Fireheart had been there for several days, Barley sat down next to Fireheart. “Thanks for sending Ravenpaw to me,” he said. “He’s turning into a fine ratter. And it’s good to share a meal with a fellow cat from time to time.” 

Fireheart was happy to hear it. “Is he happy here?” Fireheart asked. 

“Ask him yourself,” meowed Barley, and with that he turned and disappeared into the night. 

Ravenpaw joined Fireheart then, settling down beside him. 

“So what happened after we left you?” Fireheart asked. 

Ravenpaw explained about heading across WindClan territory. “I tracked down Barley. He’s been great. I think he likes having me around.” Ravenpaw’s expression suddenly clouded. “Which is more than Tigerclaw ever did,” he meowed bitterly. “What did you tell him?” 

Fireheart told him the lie that he had told ThunderClan. 

Ravenpaw gazed down at his paws. “So, ThunderClan thinks I’m dead. It’s probably for the best.” He lifted his eyes and looked at Fireheart. “These aren’t the circumstances that I would have liked, but I’m glad to be with you again, Fireheart. And it was good to see Graystripe.” His meow was warm. 

Fireheart purred. 

There wasn’t a lot to do in the barn when you had a broken leg. Fireheart was grateful that Barley was there. The older tom often settled down in the hay near Fireheart and told him stories from his kithood. 

Barley’s past was very different from Fireheart and Ravenpaw’s, and they both liked to hear the stories. He sounded like he had a very difficult and unstable life when he lived among the Two-Legs. 

In turn, Fireheart told about his life as a kittypet. There wasn’t much to tell and it was very different from Barley’s wild life. He recalled his siblings and his mother, but they were very vague in his memory. 

It took some coaxing, but Ravenpaw eventually shared his past. Fireheart was surprised to find that Dustpaw was his littermate and that they were the last litter to be born to a deceased queen called Robinwing. 

“You two look nothing alike,” Fireheart commented. 

Ravenpaw nodded, embarrassed. “Dustpaw likes to pretend we aren’t related.” 

Fireheart almost said that he would have been happy to have Ravenpaw as his littermate...but something made him hold his tongue. Instead, he stretched out his muzzle and licked Ravenpaw’s shoulder.

Ravenpaw didn’t always hunt in the barn but when he did, Fireheart liked to watch him. As far as Fireheart could remember, the black tom had always been a fantastic hunter. He was swift and cunning and strong. His sense of timing was near perfect. Sometimes Fireheart still thought of the adder that Ravenpaw had brought back to camp. To this day, the feat hadn’t been repeated and Fireheart had never heard of it being done before. 

Ravenpaw made quick work of some plump mice and brought them to Fireheart. He dropped them in front of the ginger tom and purred with pleasure. Purring with pleasure was a new thing for Ravenpaw. He used to only do it to self-soothe after a frightening nightmare or experience with Tigerclaw. It only made Fireheart resolutely sure that sending Ravenpaw to Barley was a good idea. 

“Good catch,” Fireheart mewed. He ate the mouse in two quick bites. 

Ravenpaw ate his in a few bites too. He laid beside Fireheart, warm fur brushing Fireheart’s. He began sharing tongues with Fireheart, dragging his tongue along Fireheart’s ginger fur. “Hunting is easy here.” 

Fireheart closed his eyes and kneaded the ground. He thought about how prey was scarce and RiverClan hunting in WindClan’s empty territory. It wouldn’t be empty now, though. Graystripe surely brought them home by now. Fireheart licked Ravenpaw’s head between his ears to distract himself from his worries. 

“Do you ever miss the forest, Ravenpaw?” Fireheart asked one day. ThunderClan was heavy on his mind. Part of him was worried about attacks from ShadowClan and RiverClan because they’d brought WindClan home. Part of him was worried about Tigerclaw and what trouble he was getting up to without someone there to stop him. Yet another part of him worried that if Fireheart was away from the Clan for too long, they wouldn’t accept him back. Maybe they thought that Graystripe was lying about his broken leg and went back to his Twolegs. 

The look that Ravenpaw gave him was full of compassion. Yet, he took a few moments to think about his answer. Ravenpaw’s hesitation made Fireheart recall that Bluestar said some cats weren’t meant for Clan life. Finally, Ravenpaw mewed, “I’ll never forget ThunderClan, but I’m happy here with Barley.” 

Fireheart knew that was for the best. If Ravenpaw missed the forest too much he may be tempted to return and it wasn’t safe for him yet. The forest wouldn’t be safe until Tigerclaw was dead. He flicked his ears in acknowledgement. 

“Do you miss the forest, Fireheart?” Ravenpaw asked. 

Fireheart felt ashamed for being so transparent. He nodded. “You’ve taken such good care of me, Ravenpaw. But I belong in the forest, not here.” 

Ravenpaw laid his tail over Fireheart’s shoulders. “I know you do,” he said gently. “You’ll return to ThunderClan soon enough, Fireheart. This is temporary. Soon, you’ll be going on border patrols and hunting and getting an apprentice.” 

Fireheart purred at the thought of becoming a mentor. He couldn’t wait to train some young cat the ways of the Warrior Code. Something occurred to him for the first time. “Are you upset that you don’t have a warrior name?” 

Ravenpaw considered again. “I’m no longer Clan, Fireheart. And Ravenpaw feels right for me.” Even though he sounded sincere, there was a hint of sadness in the drooping of his whiskers. “I’m proud of who I’m becoming.” 

Fireheart couldn’t argue with that. If Ravenpaw was content, then Fireheart was too. 

Fireheart always had very vivid and oftentimes prophetic dreams but now his dreams shifted into nightmares. He replayed getting hit by that monster over and over again. The sudden, sharp pain of breaking his leg. The cold rain pelting down. In his dreams, the elder died or Morningflower and her kit died and Fireheart was too broken to save them. 

The dreams were especially frequent when it rained. The sounds of rain hitting the roof of the barn triggered memories for him. Fireheart always woke from those dreams with his heart racing and his paws scrabbling. He suspected that he’d been making mewling noises like an unhappy kit. 

Ravenpaw was always beside him, black fur pressed to Fireheart’s side. He murmured kind words and purred comfortingly and licked Fireheart’s fur flat. “It’s alright, Fireheart. I’m here and you’re safe.” Ravenpaw curled his tail around Fireheart’s body. The presence of the young black cat always soothed Fireheart back to sleep and his nightmares didn’t return that night. 

“I think that you can use some sun,” Ravenpaw mewed one day. His green eyes held knowing and sympathy within them. “What do you think, Barley?” 

Fireheart had been there for almost a full moon, depending on the hospitality of Ravenpaw and Barley. He was restless, tired of looking at the same walls of the barn day in and day out. At the mention of moving from his nest in the hay to outside, Fireheart perked up. 

Barley considered carefully. He gave Fireheart’s leg a sniff. The black and white tom wasn’t a medicine cat but he had to be able to take care of himself out here and judge the seriousness of his own wounds. “I think that if we’re very careful moving that leg, Fireheart can spend some time outside. The sunlight will be good for him.” 

Fireheart was so excited that he wanted to jump to his paws and race out. But of course he couldn’t.

Ravenpaw nodded. “Sit up, Fireheart,” he instructed. 

Fireheart sat up. 

It wasn’t until Ravenpaw ducked beneath Fireheart’s front leg that he realized what Ravenpaw intended to do. Ravenpaw hoisted Fireheart onto his shoulders in the same way that Graystripe was doing when they met. He wasn’t nearly as big as Graystripe yet he took Fireheart’s weight with no problem. Fireheart suddenly realized that his friend was grown up, that he wasn’t a small, skinny little apprentice anymore. 

Ravenpaw carried Fireheart outside, minding his leg. He found a nice, sunny spot atop a warm, flat rock, and carefully eased Fireheart onto it. His fur was ruffled where Fireheart had been on him. Ravenpaw twisted around to give it a few quick licks. “Doing alright?” he asked.

“Oh, yes,” Fireheart purred. Fireheart stretched out in the sun, enjoying the heat from above and below. His eyes were no longer used to the daylight so he kept them closed, trusting Ravenpaw to defend him from any threats. He stretched his front paws until he could knead Ravenpaw’s side. The sun warmed his bones. It felt so good to feel the wind ruffling his fur again. Fireheart scented the air, tasting everything in the surrounding area. He could faintly smell WindClan. 

Ravenpaw looked delighted. He settled down, allowing Fireheart to continue to knead him, and wrapped his tail around his body. “Cats shouldn’t be cooped up in the dark,” he said. 

They lounged in the sun until it began to dip down beneath the horizon. Then, Ravenpaw stood and stretched. “Would you like a bird tonight? You must be getting tired of eating mice.”

Fireheart shrugged. “I like mice.” 

Ravenpaw caught him a bird anyway - a wren - and plucked the feathers for Fireheart. 

“I can still pluck a bird, Ravenpaw,” Fireheart said, amused. Ravenpaw took excellent care of him. He really knew how to make Fireheart feel cared for. 

Ravenpaw looked abashed. His eyes flicked from Fireheart to the bird and back again. “Sorry. There’s only a few mouthfuls left, though. Next time I’ll let you pluck it yourself.” When he was done plucking the bird, Ravenpaw quickly padded into the barn with a mouthful of feathers. 

By the time he returned, Fireheart was done eating. He sat up, licking his lips. 

Ravenpaw carried him back into the barn. 

When he deposited Fireheart in his nest, Fireheart was delighted to find that the feathers were there, downy and soft. He snuggled down and purred. Then he curled his tail around Ravenpaw’s neck. “Share with me,” he encouraged. 

Ravenpaw didn’t need to be told twice. He curled up next to Fireheart, laying on his side and pressing his forehead to Fireheart’s. Their tails twined. 

Fireheart laid with his chin on his paws and his back leg stretched out to one side. He listened to the sounds of mice scurrying through the barn. No matter how much Ravenpaw and Barley hunted, there were always enough mice to go around. It was no wonder that Ravenpaw looked so good. 

A mouse scuttled into Fireheart’s view, only a rabbit leap away. His whiskers twitched. The mouse was so close that Fireheart felt for sure he could catch it without hurting his leg. He watched the small furry shape, then bunched his muscles. 

A black blur separated itself from the shadows, a mass of muscle and sharp white teeth. Paws pinned it down and a quick bite ended its life. Ravenpaw dropped the mouse closer to Fireheart. 

Fireheart stared up at his friend, feeling conflicting emotions. He was more grateful to Ravenpaw for taking care of him than words could express, yet he was sick and tired of being an invalid. As a cat in his prime, healthy and youthful, Fireheart wanted to hunt. He wanted to catch his own prey. Mouse was especially meaningful because it was the first fresh-kill he ever caught. 

Ravenpaw drew his tail over Fireheart’s shoulders. “You’ve been incredibly patient, Fireheart,” he meowed. “Tomorrow I’ll go to WindClan and bring back Barkface to take a look at your leg.” 

Fireheart felt a wave of relief wash over him. How did Ravenpaw know exactly what to say to make him feel better? He purred his appreciation. “Thank you, Ravenpaw.” 

The next day it was raining so hard that several spots in what was left of the roof leaked. Fireheart was relieved that his nest didn’t get wet. Barley told him that the spot was chosen specifically because it didn’t get wet when it rained heavily. That was yet another reason for Fireheart to be grateful to the two loners. 

“You don’t have to go today,” Fireheart meowed to Ravenpaw. 

“I promised you that I would,” Ravenpaw meowed back. He rubbed his cheek against Fireheart’s. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back with Barkface before you know it.” Then, he bounded off into the rain. 

Fireheart waited anxiously. 

Barley tried to soothe his worries. “Ravenpaw is capable of taking care of himself. He won’t run into any trouble in this weather.” 

“He’s changed,” Fireheart noted.

Barley nodded. “Yes, he has. He told me some of what happened. I’m glad that he feels safe here.” Barley’s voice held warmth. 

“Thank you for helping him, Barley.” Fireheart looked up to the gray sky. “I miss Ravenpaw but I can see that he’s happier here. He was so scared when we lived in ThunderClan. Bluestar said that he didn’t used to be like that but...things happened and he was so terrified that he used to jump at his own shadow. Seeing Ravenpaw so confident makes me sure that I made the right decision to send him to you.” Fireheart went quiet for a moment, thinking. Now that he had time to give it a lot of thought, Fireheart thought that Ravenpaw was so skinny because he was too anxious to eat. The difference was like night and day. 

Barley blinked at him, surprised. Then he started up a rusty purr. Fireheart’s praise clearly pleased him. The two settled in to wait for the black loner and the medicine cat to return. 

Ravenpaw and Barkface returned quicker than Fireheart expected. Then again, WindClan was much closer to Barley’s barn than ThunderClan was. They shook the water from their pelts. Barkface carried a mouthful of herbs. 

“It’s good to see you again, Fireheart,” Barkface meowed when he set the herbs down. He immediately went to inspect Fireheart’s leg. “It needs more cobwebs,” he declared after a few minutes of sniffing. 

“Will it ever heal? Can I still be a warrior?” Fireheart asked. They were questions that had plagued him since this nightmare began. 

Everyone waited anxiously for Barkface’s answer. 

Barkface’s whiskers twitched in amusement. “I told you before, Fireheart. StarClan was looking out for you. You’ll heal from this. Maybe you’ll have a limp, but I doubt it. When you get older, your leg will definitely give you pain. But you’re a long way from an elder.” 

Fireheart let out a sigh of relief. “When can I go home?” 

Barkface sidestepped the question by saying, “Let’s check your mobility.” He put Fireheart through a series of exercises. 

Sitting around for a moon wasn’t exactly conducive to building muscle but Fireheart did his best. By the end he was panting. 

“By the half moon, I think you’ll be ready to return,” Barkface said. This time he gave Ravenpaw instructions for physical therapy. “I'll return then with Yellowfang to check your leg. Maybe you’ll get to go home with her.” 

Fireheart had never missed Yellowfang so much. Just hearing her name made him yearn to see her. He kneaded the ground with his claws, eager for the half moon to come. 

“Ready to leave me already?” Ravenpaw teased. His voice was normal but his green eyes were sad and his whiskers drooped slightly. 

Fireheart tilted his head, curious. He wondered if Ravenpaw wanted to come with him. No, he didn’t think so. It almost sounded like Ravenpaw wanted Fireheart to stay. He brushed his tail against Ravenpaw’s flank. “You aren’t so far away that I can’t come visit again. Next time on my own four paws.” 

Ravenpaw gave a soft laugh, amused despite himself. He rubbed his side against Fireheart’s walking in a circle around him before settling down where he began. “You’re always welcome here.”

“That’s right,” Barley chimed in. He gave Fireheart an affectionate nudge. 

Warmth flooded Fireheart. He was touched by the friendliness of Barley and Ravenpaw’s affections. As much as Fireheart loved ThunderClan and wanted to return, he knew that a part of him would always belong here in the barn with these two cats. 

Ravenpaw crouched on a warm rock, watching Fireheart doing his exercises. His green eyes were intense and he didn’t seem to notice how the wind ruffled his fur. 

Fireheart was ignoring his friend’s look but the longer that Ravenpaw stared at him, the more distracted he got. Finally, Fireheart decided to call it a day on the exercises. He sat and gazed back at Ravenpaw. “Is there something in my fur?” 

Ravenpaw’s gaze became slightly less intense. He looked away, out over the wild grown field that surrounded the barn. For a long few moments, Ravenpaw didn’t reply. When he finally looked at Fireheart again, the intensity was back. “I wish that I could keep you here.” 

Fireheart tilted his head. He wrapped his tail around his paws. “What do you mean?” 

The fur along Ravenpaw’s spine rose. His ears flicked back. He looked just as uncomfortable now as he used to when he lived in ThunderClan. “Tigerclaw hates you, Fireheart. I’m worried that he’ll try to…” Ravenpaw trailed off, looking at his paws.

Fireheart understood. “To kill me?” he finished. 

Ravenpaw flinched but he nodded. 

Fireheart stretched his muzzle to Ravenpaw and touched noses with him. “Tigerclaw uses surprise to his advantage. No one is expecting it, but I am. I’ll be alright and I’ll keep the Clan safe from him.” Fireheart paused, then added, “And I’ll keep you safe from him.” 

The fur along Ravenpaw’s spine flattened again as he relaxed. Ravenpaw rubbed his cheek against Fireheart’s. “That’s not all. I miss you, Fireheart. Barley is great...but...part of my heart will always be with you.” 

Fireheart blinked with surprise. Ravenpaw was in love with him? He was silent for a long while, thinking it over. Ravenpaw was his second friend in ThunderClan and they were very close. Fireheart and Graystripe were the only ones Ravenpaw confided in. He trusted them with his life. That aside, Ravenpaw was a hardworking and compassionate cat. He was good with kits, he was gentle and loving with the sick and elderly. He was very good at anticipating needs, as he’d left Fireheart wanting for nothing. _And,_ Fireheart, thought, _Ravenpaw is very handsome._ Especially now that he wasn’t so scrawny. 

Fireheart trusted Ravenpaw with his life, and had been doing so every day for over a moon. He was impressed by Ravenpaw’s courage and his hunting skills. He admired the cat that Ravenpaw had grown into. Being with Ravenpaw made Fireheart feel warm and light even when he was sad about his situation. Ravenpaw had a good sense of humor, a good sense of honor. Anyone would be lucky to be Ravenpaw’s mate. Fireheart compared his feelings for Ravenpaw to the ones he felt for Spottedleaf and found that while they were subtly different, they were equally strong.

Fireheart nuzzled Ravenpaw. He touched the black cat’s nose with his again. “Part of my heart will always be with you too,” Fireheart purred. 

Fireheart and Ravenpaw spent every moment together until the day of the half moon. The medicine cats didn’t come to the barn before their meeting at Highstones so Fireheart and Ravenpaw had one last day together. They spent it in the sun, sitting beside each other on the sun warmed rocks near the farm. 

Fireheart caught Yellowfang’s scent before he saw her. He sat up and looked in the direction she was coming from. It took all of his willpower to sit still and not bound over to greet Yellowfang when he saw her. 

Yellowfang padded beside Barkface and stopped when she saw Ravenpaw. Her eyes narrowed as she made the connection between a supposed dead ThunderClan apprentice and this loner. She elected to ignore the black tom, instead addressing Fireheart, “Well look what you’ve done to yourself. Always the hero.” Yellowfang’s tone would sound mean to anyone else but Fireheart heard the affection there. 

Fireheart touched her shoulder. “I’ve missed you, Yellowfang.” 

Yellowfang gave a pleased purr. She began her examination of Fireheart’s leg. With a claw, she tore the cobwebs on Fireheart’s leg. The fur beneath was matted flat and almost seemed a little pale from the sticky residue leftover. “Well, Barkface, it seems that you’ve assured ThunderClan will keep a good warrior.” 

Barkface examined Fireheart’s leg as well. He looked pleased with what he saw. “It’s healed nicely. Have you been doing your exercises, Fireheart?” 

Fireheart nodded. “Every day.” 

“Let’s see you walk around on it,” Barkface said. 

Fireheart stood. His leg had spent so much time stuck out that his hip was a little stiff but he wiggled and everything seemed to fall into place. He walked around the clearing. There was no pain, though he did limp. 

Yellowfang, Barkface, and Ravenpaw watched him closely. When Fireheart returned to the group, Yellowfang began to ask him questions. She examined his leg again. “I think I’ll be bringing you home today, Fireheart.” 

Fireheart let out a sigh of relief. Then he cast a guilty look to Ravenpaw.

Ravenpaw looked sad but sat with his chin up, long resigned to Fireheart’s eventual return to ThunderClan. He laid his tail over Fireheart’s. 

“Thank you, Barkface. It means more to me than I can say,” Fireheart meowed. He dipped his head respectfully. 

Barkface nodded. “You brought my Clan home, Fireheart. It’s the least I can do.” He yawned suddenly. “I’ll be returning to my own territory now that you’re better. Until next time, Yellowfang.” Barkface inclined his head to Ravenpaw. Then he turned and disappeared into the tall grass. 

“We should be going too, Fireheart. I want to get back to the Clan,” Yellowfang said. “Say goodbye to this loner and we’ll be going.” Then she turned her back on them and waited.

Immediately, Ravenpaw was pressed against Fireheart’s side. He tucked his head beneath Fireheart’s chin and purred. His tail curled around Fireheart’s body. 

Fireheart draped his tail over Ravenpaw’s body and pressed in close to him too. He breathed in the scent of the black tom; a scent as familiar and safe as his den. Ravenpaw’s company would be deeply missed. Maybe once Tigerclaw was taken care of, Ravenpaw could come back to ThunderClan and they could be together again. “Thank you for everything you’ve done, Ravenpaw,” he meowed against Ravenpaw’s ear, low enough that Yellowfang wouldn’t hear him. Then Fireheart pulled back to touch Ravenpaw’s nose one last time. He looked into Ravenpaw’s green eyes, memorized his beloved’s face. With a heavy heart, Fireheart meowed, “I’m ready, Yellowfang.”

Yellowfang glanced at them over her shoulder. She flicked her tail to gesture for Fireheart to follow her. Then she disappeared into the brush.

Fireheart padded after her. His heart felt like it was being torn in two. A few fox-lengths away, Fireheart paused and looked over his shoulder. 

“Safe travels, Fireheart,” Ravenpaw meowed. For a moment it seemed that he might run after Fireheart and beg him to stay, or beg to go home with him, but Ravenpaw didn’t move. He sat perfectly straight, back rigid and tail curled neatly around his paws. His eyes never left Fireheart.


End file.
